Facile Synthesis of a Novel Hierarchical ZSM-5 Zeolite: A Stable Acid Catalyst for Dehydrating Glycerol to Acrolein

Catalytic biomass conversion is often hindered by coking. Carbon compounds cover active surface and plug pores, causing catalyst deactivation. Material design at the nanoscale allows tailoring of the catalytic activity and stability. Here, we report a simple synthesis of nanosized ZSM-5 materials by using a silicalite-1 seeding suspension. ZSM-5 crystals were grown from a deionized silica source in the presence of ammonia. By using silicalite-1 seeds, crystalline ZSM-5 is synthesized without any structure-directing agent. This method allows parallel preparation of a range of ZSM-5 samples, eliminating time-consuming ion-exchange steps. Mesoporosity is introduced by formation of intercrystallite voids, owing to nanocrystal agglomeration. The effects of crystal sizes and morphologies are then evaluated in the catalytic dehydration of glycerol to acrolein, with results compared against commercial ZSM-5. The most active nanosized ZSM-5 catalysts were five times more stable compared with commercial ZSM-5, giving quantitative conversion and twice the acrolein yield compared with the commercial catalyst. The influence of the catalyst structure on the chemical diffusion and the resistance to coking are discussed.